Abhorred Heir
by SkippingAlice
Summary: If Lily Potter had run, if Voldemort had known the consequence, if the child had been taken, if the balance had been broken, what would have come to pass? [HarryDraco]


Abhorred Heir

If Lily Potter had run, if Voldemort had known the consequence, if the child had been taken, if the balance had been broken, what would have come to pass?

SkippingAlice

Note: The only thing serious about this story are the scenes with Order members in them. Now really, can you see a serious story involving an infant and Voldemort? No? Didn't think so.

Chapter One

_--_

**The Daily Prophet**

_James Potter(23), was found murdered in his home early this morning by a muggle neighbor, his wife Lily Potter, and son Harry's whereabouts are unknown at this time. All signs point to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, for the death mark had been placed over the house. Cause of death has been named the unforgivable killing curse, another point against, You-Know-Who. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, says this terrible murder is not to cause alarm; Aurors are already in full motion, and by the looks of it..._

"What does this mean?" Minerva McGonagall asked quietly, her hand pressed firmly to her thin lips. The white-bearded man before her said nothing, but his blue eyes were grave.

"Something even I had not expected has taken place, I fear, we must take all necessary precautions. Call together the Order, the situation has become dire."

"But--"

"Minerva, please, with haste." The woman looked as though she might argue, but at length she turned and rushed from the room. Dumbledore stroked his beard, fear chilling its way down his spine.

---

Voldemort stepped from within the shadows, handing his sleeping bundle over to a heavily-lidded woman. She touched the child's cheek before pulling him close. "My lord?"

The man brushed past her coldly, instead snapping orders to the man who had been standing beside her. "Severus. I want you to hurry and finish that potion we have been talking about."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight." Voldemort turned to glare at the woman from over his shoulder. "Well, bring him inside, Bellatrix." She did as she was bid, looking down at the pale child with interest.

"My lord...This is the heir?"

He hesitated. "Yes," he said at last, his red eyes skimming over the baby. She quickly followed after him, smiling brightly down at the child, her lovely face flushed.

"Then, my lord!"

"The prophecy has been changed, Harry Potter is no longer a threat." He laughed cruelly, "poor Dumbledore, what a surprise he'll have come morning."

"The family?" Bellatrix asked, coming into step with him.

"The mother ran, the father is dead."

Bellatrix looked at him in shock. "She ran!"

"Hysterical over her husbands death. She pleaded for his life," he jerked his head to indicate Harry. "I told her I wasn't after his life, I offered her the chance to run- told her I'd come when Harry was of age and she would be needed. She ran."

Bellatrix seemed deeply disturbed by his answer. "What kind of a mother leaves her child with a notorious killer- no offense, my lord-"

"None taken."

"And runs?" she finished, her voice quiet.

"Obviously," Severus retorted, flipping back greasy hair. "Lily Potter."

"Shut it, Snivellus! I wasn't talking to you!"

Severus snarled lowly, his eyes darkening and his lips curling into a sneer. "What out Bellatrix, you only become uglier with that look on your face." Bellatrix screeched and looked ready to lunge at the man, she was halted by Voldemort carefully taking Harry from her.

"Carry on." He left them, smiling eerily down at Harry.

----

"James is dead?" Sirius said, his face ashen. "A-Are you sure?"

Dumbledore inclined his head, his blue eyes graver than ever. "Unfortunately, yes. James was found early this morning, by a muggle neighbor."

"What--What about Lily, Harry?" Remus asked, his eyes betraying his desperate hope. Dumbledore hesitated then shook his head, casting his eyes to the floor. A heavy silence fell over the room's inhabitants. "A search party...?" He trailed off helplessly.

"Yes," Dumbledore said turning to look out into the street. "Every able Auror is on the job. You know Fudge, he hates anyone thinking, Voldemort's-" everyone cringed- "winning."

"He-He isn't though right sir?" Tonks asked, her hair a subdued chestnut brown. "He isn't winning."

"I am...I am afraid he is, Nymphadora. I'm afraid he is."

-----

Voldemort stooped low and sat Harry on the floor, straightening to look down at the baby. Behind him Bellatrix watched the child stir, her face aglow with awe. Harry opened startling green eyes and looked up at them, smiling a toothy grin, well, without the teeth. He reached a chubby hand up towards the dark lord and giggled.

"That," Severus said, his tone dry. "Is the heir?"

"Severus." Voldemort growled, crimson eyes flashing. "If you say another disrespectful thing about my heir, I will personally remove all your organs." Behind him Bellatrix smirked, Severus glared at her and then stiffly offered Voldemort a small bow.

"I apologize, my lord."

Voldemort waved a hand, moving to sit, his long black robes billowing out behind him. "Bellatrix!" She looked up at him and he looked at Harry. "You are in charge of taking care of Harry, from this day forward." She bowed low, her palms flat against her sides. Severus slammed the cauldron he had retrieved down on the table and began fiercely cutting.

"It will be an honor to serve both you, my lord, and your heir."

"Yes, of course. Severus! That potion had better be ready soon!" Severus, who knew unless he was suicidal, he could never glare at his lord, so; instead, he glared at Bellatrix. She seemed startled, but quickly returned the glare with one of her own. Voldemort drummed his fingers against the arms of the chair on which he sat, staring at Harry.

Harry stared back.

Voldemort was horrified to find himself loosing the silent eye-war between himself and Harry. He gave the boy the evilest look he could manage and was stumped when he received no response.

Harry continued to look up at Voldemort with wide, beautiful green eyes. The man shifted and finally looked at Severus. "Why is it looking at me like that?"

Severus looked up from his bubbling cauldron, "honestly, my lord, I don't know."

Harry clapped his cubby hands together and his cheeks filled with color. His eyes seemed to glow, misted over with, what Voldemort was praying wasn't tears. "Severus!"

"Yes?" The man was close to glaring and there was a sharp edge to his voice.

"Don't talk to me like that, you fool!" The man rubbed at his temple, red eyes flashing in annoyance. Voldemort sighed and tried again, "Severus. Are children hard to raise?"

Severus dropped his spoon and this time came quite close to glaring. "Really, why can't you ask Lucius?"

"I'm asking you!" He snapped in response, his fingers brushing against his wand.

"I don't know." Severus said at last, picking back up the dropped utensil. "I haven't ever even been around children."

"Yes, yes. But why is he looking at me like that?!"

"Maybe he's hungry," Bellatrix offered, waggling a finger at Harry, who gurgled happily in response.

Voldemort frown and looked over to Severus who answered before he could ask-- "He needs milk."

"Not just any milk." Bellatrix told the man who was now regarding her instead of Severus. "It has to be milk made especially for children."

"I see." Voldemort said, "where can you find this milk?"

"In most muggle stores," she informed him, as Harry chewed on her fingers.

"Muggle!" Voldemort exploded. "I refuse to lower myself to the indecency!" Severus rolled his eyes and continued chopping away, his movements so precise it bordered narcotic. Voldemort rubbed more savagely at his temples, growling faintly. "Bellatrix! Refrain from coddling my heir!"

She actually had the gall to frown up at him. "I must, sadly, refuse your orders, my lord. You see, a child must be loved."

He snorted and stood in a wave of black silk, he descended down upon her and a now wide-eyed Harry. "No coddling. He is evil, Bellatrix. **Evil.**" She stared blankly at him and he growled and roughly ripped Harry from her arms. To his horror-- and Severus's dismay-- Harry began to cry. Big tears pushed out of his squeezed lids and his cheeks were violently red.

"See. Why won't you ever listen to me, my lord?"

"_Bellatrix_," Voldemort growled in warning. He nearly yelped as a sharp pain tug at his skull, to his astonishment he found the pain linked to Harry: Harry was **pulling** his hair! About to shake some sense into the tiny baby, Voldemort was stopped as Bellatrix shrieked and pulled Harry back into the protective circle of her arms.

Harry had stopped crying and was now proudly displaying his catch to Bellatrix; a hand full of Voldemort's hair. The man raised his hand to rub at his abused skull. "My lord, really! Don't you know you cannot shake small children! You could have killed him!"

Voldemort snarled a retort and sank into his chair, glaring across the room at Harry. "My lord." Severus said silkily. "It is ready."

"At last," he smiled chillingly at Harry. "It is time, my heir, to take your place as the last Horcrux."

Harry burped and waved the fist full of hair. "Are you sure he's the heir?" Severus asked mildly, eyeing Harry nonchalantly, his lip curled up in a sneer.

Voldemort chose to ignore the stab at his heir, he glared frigidly at Severus and held out a hand for the potion. Severus handed it over easily, still staring at Harry. "At last," he purred, picking up Harry, making sure this time that the brat was too far to pull his hair. "Ready Harry, it's time."

------

Alright, that's enough nonsense for now. Review, please. I'll try to put another chapter up soon. Oh, and on another note, I need a beta reader, anyone interested, please let me know!

SkippingAlice


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